Thanksgiving

Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart.

1. WHEN, in blessing, the Lord thy God shall bestow upon thee any great and choice blessing; or, in his abundant charity, shall deliver thee from any great calamity, thou shalt assemble together thy wives, and thy children; thy friends, and thy neighbours; and shalt celebrate his glorious goodness with thankofferings, and feasting, and musick, and dancing. 56 words,286 letters.2. And for the chief blessings of God to thee, shalt thou keep it in remembrance from year to year, and teach it to thy children, that they who inherit the blessing may not forget gratitude to the giver, and the remembrance of the goodness of thy God be preserved throughout all generations. 52 words,232 letters.Total—2 sec., 108 words, 518 letters.

1. There is a natural buoyancy of spirits in the constitution of man, which will not live down to the demands of misanthropy. It is the native thankfulness of the heart, for blessings bestowed, favours conferred, and happiness enjoyed.2. In that false system of religion, which condemns all the pleasures of life as sinful, and enjoins on us the selfinfliction

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of gloom, pain and misery, in this life, as the price of happiness in another, this natural thankfulness is condemned as sinful.3. Give it a voice, and it will speak the praises of God; motion, and it will act the gratitude of the heart, inspired with an afflatus from the heart of the Redeemer of men.4. In the Jewish Church, singing, instrumental musick feasting, and dancing, were all used in praising God. But it is worthy of remark, that they used them or not, according to the extent of their blessings or calamities. (Ps. cxxxvii. 4.)5. While in Egyptian bondage they had no national feasts but on the destruction of the firstborn of Egypt, the feast of the passover was instituted. (Ex. xii, 3-10.)6. On different occasions new feasts, sacrifices, and dances were instituted, and new psalms and songs composed for their various thanksgivings; both national, sectional and individual.7. The use of all these modes of praising God, and giving thanks to him, prevailed among them, and were anticipated in the Church of the latter days. They were regarded as most acceptable forms of worship. (Ps. cxlix, cl.)8. Dancing and instrumental musick should, therefore, be regarded as forms of religious worship, acceptable to God, when done to his praise, and the magnifying of his name.9. And though it may not be positively sinful to join in a dance which was not instituted to the praise of God, yet as tending to an unprofitable mixing with unbelievers, the practice should be avoided. It may cause some to stumble.10. Be admonished, therefore, that whatsoever you do, you do it in reference to the law of God, being guided thereby in all things; rendering due thanks and praise unto him for all his goodness, and assembling your neighbours with you to be joyful in the Lord.